1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to the UV disinfection of water and other liquid streams. In particular, the present invention provides a UV disinfector for use in the disinfection of tap water and other sources of drinking water used in the home.
2. Description of the Related Art
Methods used heretofore to disinfect water include the use of chlorine and other chemical agents as well as irradiation. However, certain pathogenic organisms, such as Cryptosporidium parvum, are resistant to chemical-based disinfection. Additionally, organisms such as Cryptosporidium, which is present in most municipal drinking water systems, have recently been shown to present a significant health risk to immunocompromised individuals even at the very low levels at which such pathogens are present in municipal drinking water.
The UV water disinfector of the present invention provides a simple solution to the problems described above in that it is a device that permits the in-home UV treatment of drinking water such as tap water. The device of the preferred embodiment employs a bare low-energy UV lamp suspended above a free surface of water flowing within the device. The water is supplied from a tap or other store of drinking water and proceeds through the device by the force of gravity. The device itself is not pressurized. The flow of water within the device is exposed to UV radiation from the UV lamp and is disinfected as a result.
In the illustrated embodiment, the device is of a small size to permit its use, for example, directly at a tap for drinking water within the home. The flow rate of the device is commensurate with the normal flow rate of tap water, preferably less than about 8 liters per minute. The lamp power for safely disinfecting the water can be less than 20 watts, and in the illustrated embodiment the lamp is a low-pressure Hg lamp.